Phantasm

Rating:
Summary: ehh...it's not bad but I've seen better
Review: Giving this movie 5 stars seems too generous for me. I save 5 for all the better top notch stuff. And there are a lot of movies way better than this. The movie is suppose to be scary but ends up unintentionally humorous. The most gore you'll see is when some flying ball with a spike hits some guy in the face, that's pretty much it. So all you gorehounds can move along now if that's all you were interested in.

The story is about a kid and his older brother with his friend that owns an ice cream parlor. They break into some funeral home and try to figure out what exactly is going on. Mysterious stuff happened like midgets come out of nowhere (they look like Jawas from Star Wars) and some tall guy (Tallman) picks up a casket with ease. The movie really revolves around the kid and his brother working together as a team to solve all the questions they have. There's an ending that doesn't make sense at all and comes out of nowhere (no, it wasn't shocking, just strange). Mild violence and a fun adventure, not bad. It's okay for a few laughs, very cheesy.

Rating:
Summary: DARE YOU TO MOVE A MUSCLE, AN ARTERY, OR A VEIN....
Review: is phantasm the eeriest, most creepy movie ever made which had massive appeal upon it's initial release in seventies & yet still manages to freak viewers out today? oh, hell yes!!! coscarelli has fabricated one of the most frightening yet innovative villians in horror movie history & probability suggest we will never forget the tall man nor the flying balls with blades. i won't go into a lengthy review describing the plot because most of us are very familiar with it already but i will comment on the quality of this dvd. mgm has done a grand job with this special edition & there are many extras which will more than satisfy the casual & hardcore fan of the fantasy/ horror genre. also, the film looks better on dvd than we could've ever hoped for on old vhs copies released by embassy. mgm deserves two cigars!! here we have everything from the introduction by mr. angus scrimm himself, some effective & creepy deleted footage never before seen, & interviews with the cast & director mr. coscarelli himself. see the original film as it was meant to be seen before you embark on a mission to check out the many sequels it has spawned. at such an affordable price, there is no excuse not to pick up your copy of this cult classic today. i should also comment that coscarelli is still in business & we should be thanking our lucky stars. just how many more moons must we wait though til bubba ho-tep is finally released on dvd? hasn't it been out in theatres long enough?

Rating:
Summary: Screwballs...
Review: Something is going on at Morningside cemetery. A strange woman in lavender is going around luring young men to have sex with her in the graveyard. Once there, after the fun, she takes out a knife and stabs them to death! The latest victim was a friend of Jody, his brother Mike, and Regie, the heroes of the story. While Jody and Regie are at the funeral, Mike rides his motorcycle through the cemetery, spying on the procedings through binoculars (Mike's been acting strange ever since his parents died. He won't let Jody out of his sight for fear of losing him too.) After the mourners leave, Mike sees a tall man (Angus Scrimm) pick up his friend's coffin and toss it in the hearse like it weighed nothing! Mike's curiosity gets him to enter the mausoleum to look around. He is chased by a groundskeeper who catches him only to be struck in the noggin by a flying silver ball. The ball drills into his forehead, shooting blood like a spigot! Mike takes off. He encounters the tallman again and crushes his fingers off in a door. Mike takes one of the fingers (severed, but still wiggling in a pool of yellow goo) home to show Jody, who finally becomes convinced that things are getting weird. They also meet up with several killer dwarves with super-human strength. Soon, Regie joins them. Together, the three set out to get the tallman and discover the secret of Morningside Mortuary, including extra-terrestrial activity and what REALLY happened to Mike and Jody's parents. This is an excellent low-budget creeper. Highly recommended...

Rating:
Summary: One the great 70s cult movies.
Review: When Mike sneaks off to spy on the funeral for his brother Jody's friend Tommy, he has no idea of the nightmare he is about to uncover at Morningside Mortuary. The creepy Tall Man that runs the place is not what he appears to be...and who is that lady in lavender making all the guys disappear? Phantasm doesn't really answer any questions, it just plays out with an insane dream logic as three friends (young Mike, older brother Jody, and their comic relief ice cream salesman friend Reggie) investigate the monster laden mystery and fight the Tall Man. Writer/director Don Coscarelli squeezes maximum visual power from his admittedly silly premises and the Silver Sphere is a highlight, not to mention Fred Myrow and Malcolm Seagrave's classic score. Watching Phantasm today is just as much fun as seeing it for the first time back during its theatrical re-release in 1980 (double billed with another AVCO Embassy cult horror item, John Carpenter's The Fog). The extras will be familiar to those who have the laserdisc special edition (i.e. they are the same), but any horror fan worth his or her salt will want to see this, if not own it. An essential piece of 70s cult horror/sci-fi/fantasy fun.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best horror film franchises ever!
Review: I became a huge fan of the "Phantasm" franchise without ever watching the first film in the series. Cable channels around these parts used to show both "Phantasm 2" and "Phantasm 3" constantly, so those two films formed the basis of my knowledge about this weird horror series. With the advent of DVD, I finally decided to see where it all began and acquired a copy of Don Coscarelli's 1979 cult classic. Sure, "Phantasm" is about as low budget as you can get, even for a horror film, but the amazing thing about this movie is that a lack of funds did not hurt it at all. In fact, some of the plot holes that a bigger budget would have filled in actually work in the movie's favor. By not really understanding who the Tall Man is or why he does what he does, "Phantasm" assumes enigmatic dimensions that practically beg for explanation through further sequels. Coscarelli, who I think is planning yet another sequel in this franchise, has also made a few other films over the years: the recent "Bubba Ho-tep" and the ubiquitous cable favorite "The Beastmaster" are the most memorable.

Reggie, Jody, and Jody's younger brother Mike soon learn strange things are afoot at the Morningside Funeral Home. After a funeral service for a friend of Reggie and Jody, Mike sees the eerie undertaker at the funeral home heave a three hundred pound casket in the back of a hearse all by himself. Intrigued, Mike begins to investigate the funeral home and this puzzling figure, fondly known to fans of the series as the Tall Man, and unearths a whole heap of weirdness. Before long Jody and Reggie get caught up in the madness of the Tall Man's world. What they discover behind the walls of the funeral home is a nightmare of endless dangers: twisted, angry little creatures clad in robes, a portal to another dimension, and small flying spheres that seek out human flesh with disastrous and bloody results. As the three attempt to put together the odd pieces of this puzzle, the Tall Man and his minions always lurk in the background ready to do serious bodily injury to the interlopers. What Reggie, Mike, and Jody discover is hardly reassuring: the Tall Man is some sort of other dimensional being roaming our world in search of corpses. He then reanimates the bodies and transforms them into stunted little creatures so he can transport them into his dimension. Why does he do this? Who knows, but it is fun watching our three heroes battle the Tall Man in this film and the subsequent sequels.

One of the best elements of "Phantasm" is the characters. You have the Tall Man (Angus Scrimm), a lumbering giant of a man dressed all in black and sporting a perpetual scowl. He delivers his lines, of which there are few in this movie but more in subsequent films, in a growling tone full of dark menace. Scrimm is creepy as the Tall Man, and I think this character may well be one of my favorite horror film bad guys. The actors who play Reggie, Jody, and Mike appear in all of the sequels (with a minor switch in two), an important continuity because it gives the "Phantasm" franchise a real "contained universe" feel lacking in most horror series. It was fun for me to watch the original film after seeing the later sequels because the guys are so much younger here. Jody sports a '70's coif that would do Starsky and Hutch proud, and Reggie looks so young that it is almost frightening.

"Phantasm" films always contain elements that make for a great, downbeat atmosphere. The music is absolutely fantastic, and if I had to compare the background beats of "Phantasm" with the sound of another horror film it would have to be something along the lines of Kubrick's "The Shining." The movie sounds creepy, and when matched with the mostly shot at night scenes and the wickedly gory rampages of those metallic spheres, the whole film takes on a most memorable feel. Coscarelli does not rely solely on gripping horror, however, as there are many humorous scenes throughout the film. The scene where Mike and Jody do battle with the severed finger is one of the funniest I have seen in a horror movie. Even the fake looking bug and the gruesome little minions of the Tall Man are amusing in their own right.

If you want to buy just one DVD because of the extras, you should get this one. I couldn't believe how much stuff they packed on one disc! You get lengthy deleted scenes, a commentary with Coscarelli and the film's actors, a long interview with Coscarelli and Angus Scrimm made years ago with some film professor, a short film of an appearance Angus Scrimm made at a horror convention, trailers, a disco version of the theme song (!), poster and lobby card pictures, a kooky promotional ad made by Angus Scrimm for the Australian market, and a widescreen picture transfer. I especially enjoyed the footage of Scrimm speaking at a horror film convention. Even though it was a bit corny, he quickly ran through all of the lines the Tall Man said in the "Phantasm" films, and since most of his dialogue in these movies is so memorable it was great to hear him say them in character. Overall, it felt like it took longer to view all of the extras on this disc than it did to watch the film! If you haven't delved into the dark world of "Phantasm," start here and rapidly move on to the excellent sequels.

Rating:
Summary: Old Skool horror classic, not to be taken TOO seriously.
Review: Yeah, before "Alien" came along and people actually spent MONEY in the making of horror movies, this is pretty much the way it was done. You'd have the same guy that wrote the screenplay be the director and probably the producer as well. There wouldn't be any kind of a budget involved, so you'd have actors that were more likely the writer/director's film school (or drinking) buddies, and these actors would have varying degrees of acting skill, usually ranging from sub-par to non-existant (Shakespeareans need not apply). What special effects that could be afforded generally tended to be home-made and as simple as possible. With any luck the writer/director would already have a distribution arrangement in hand by the time shooting began, with most of the run to be held at drive-in movies over the summertime. All that you needed to make this dream a reality was a good story.

And that's what makes "Phantasm" so good. The acting isn't all that, there are absolutely dreadful moments for pretty much all of the main characters. But the characters themselves are endearing enough so that you DO make the connection; Reggie with his ponytail and his ice cream truck, Mike with his very real fears of abandonment (instilled first by the loss of his parents and then by the possibility of his older brother leaving town), and of course Mike's older brother Jody with his Plymouth 'Cuda (not actually a Hemi Cuda, as sadly confirmed in the magnificent DVD commentary track) and that "I'm-really-doing-all-I-can-to-look-like-Han-Solo" '70's blow-dry haircut.

The story is original enough for its time...beings from another dimension are posing as morticians and stealing and reanimating dead bodies from a small town in Anywhere, USA to use as slave labor in their home world. Our heroic trifecta discover the plot and attempt to stop them. The embodiment of the plot, "The Tall Man" possesses supernatural powers (including a form of mind control as well as a telepathic link to several metallic spheres which perform work similar to that of the ancient Egyptians who removed organs from bodies slated for mummification). Our heroes have only their own friendship, a few small arms, and a bad-ass car. And that's it; from that story this drive-in movie flooded its banks and escaped into mainstream release to become one of the top-grossing movies of 1979 and the inspiration for a further flood of sequels (most of which, admittedly, go straight-to-video).

This is where I say the movie is worth buying just on the basis of it being an archival example of the 1970's horror movie (the only thing separating them from the pornography of the same era was the violence in one and the sex in the other) that actually happens to be a good movie on its own merits. But for the sake of the movie fan who enjoys a well-loaded DVD at a good price, "Phantasm" is really hard to beat. The standard widescreen presentation/5:1 sound ratio would be enough for the offered price for someone who just had a fond memory of the movie itself, but the Commentary track is outstanding, the deleted scenes are entertaining (nice to see I'm not the only one who appreciates the healing properties of Dos Equis beer), and the interviews with Angus Scrimm at the FantasyFest and with Don Coscarelli by Mr. Miami Leisure Suit are just fantastic. Consider also that there is an audio track including Bill Thornbury ("Jody") singing and playing "Sittin' Here At Midnight" in its entirety and a pop/disco take of the movie's memorable main theme, you really can't go wrong. This is one of the few DVD's that doesn't need a re-release; they couldn't possibly add any more to it. Definitely check it out...but don't be expecting "Hamlet".

Rating:
Summary: Don Coscarelli's horror rollercoaster with BALLS !
Review: Gruesome, quirky and highly inventive low budget horror film from the late 1970's has definitely achieved cult status amongst terror aficionado's , spawning multiple sequels over the past quarter century, and a legion of loyal fans to the battle between good & evil at Morningside Funeral Home. Young director Don Coscarelli's horror cheapie was a surprise hit globally in 1979, and like other inventive low budget horror films "Night of the Living Dead" and "The Blair Witch Project", it has become a pillar outlining the trends of modern horror movies of the past 25 years.

( Interestingly, Coscarelli's celluloid life has been virtually consumed by "Phantasm", in much the same way as George Romero's onscreen output has been dominated by the "Living Dead" since 1968. Coscarelli has directed all the subsequent sequels to the original "Phantasm" !! )

Innovative, and often humorous plot has two orphaned brothers ( Mike & Jody ) , and their ice cream selling buddy ( Reggie ) investigating unusual phenomenon at the nearby Morningside Cemetery. Mike witnesses all manner of strange happenings including malignant, grunting dwarfs ( looking suspiciously like Jawa's from "Star Wars" ), a stunning lady in lavender wooing amorous males to their death, and a deadly chrome sphere that drills the brains out of those unfortunate enough to forget to duck !!

The gatekeeper ( literally ) to all this evil, is the Tall Man....a malevolent alien robbing the graveyard's of recently deceased to supply bodies for his nefarious purposes.

This DVD package is excellent value with a wonderful introduction by the Tall Man ( Angus Scrimm ) to a top quality print of the feature film. In addition, there is an insightful audio commentary with the director and all key cast members, deleted scenes, behind the scenes footage with commentary, TV & theatre trailers, TV interviews, a booklet.....and much, much more !!

When "Phantasm" was released in Australia in 1979 the distributors changed the film's name to "The Never Dead". And the reason why ??? Well, in 1977 a soft porn film with plenty of onscreen nudity was made & released in Australia with the title "Fantasm" ! And the distributors of "Phantasm" in Australia obviously did not want horror fans accidently walking into the wrong theatre.....

Arguably, "Phantasm" hasn't aged brilliantly since it's initial release in 1979, and it looks quite hokey in some places by current horror standards. However, the film's raw unpolished style and it's effective combination of a truly eerie soundtrack, believable heroes, a dominating onscreen villain and scarey jolts combined with injections of humor still make it an enjoyable way to spend 90 minutes. Fans of modern horror should have this imaginative film in their inventory !!

Rating:
Summary: AS BAD AS THEY COME
Review: I can't believe people actually like this movie. It was as about as dumb as they come. That's all I can say about it. I read everyone's reviews, was expecting to watch a great movie and it was so stupid I had to log on again and make sure I was watching the same movie everyone else on this page was. Like I said...As bad as they come!

Rating:
Summary: Not really worth watching
Review: Phantasm is one of those movies that has become a bit of a cult classic; this is understandable as it would never be considered a real classic.

The story involves a sinister mortician who has alien powers and apparently wants dead bodies for his own strange reasons. Apparently, the normal supply of dead bodies isn't enough, so he starts killing a few of his own. A pair of brothers stumble upon his crimes and soon their own lives get more and more nightmarish.

This is one of those plots that could - if executed correctly - make a really good movie, but this movie is done in by banal writing and weak acting. While some of the effects are interesting, many are downright cheesy; perhaps the worst in the bunch is when one character wrestles with a monster trapped in his jacket in a wholly unbelievable scene (it just looks like a guy flinging his jacket around). It is the writing, however, that really makes the movie fall apart...there are all sorts of illogical things going on (and not in a bizarre-horror sort of craziness, but rather in a simple bad writing sort of way). The ending is like the icing on this bad movie cake...with a twist that seems tacked on (and is little more than a cliché) and actually makes no sense.

Some bad movies have to be experienced to be fully appreciated. Unfortunately, this is not the sort of so-bad-it's-entertaining type of movie, but rather a weak two star sort of mediocrity with just enough quality to make you wish it lived up to its potential and more than enough lousiness to make you wonder why you bothered wasting an hour-and-a-half of your life on it.

Rating:
Summary: not that good
Review: Do people really like this movie? There is not one single scare in the entire thing, the plot makes little to no sense (especially the ending, in which a character previously declared dead shows up, alive and well, with no explanation of any kind), and the kid brother is abandoned by his big brother so many times and against all reason that I felt I might go mad if I had to suffer one more such scene. I kind of feel the same way about all these five-star reviews people are posting here. Come on, people; develop some taste.